Why Do Coaches even Have a Challenge Flag?

18 replies

KeyFinKeyFinforum_veteranOP
Dec 27, 2009, 07:12 PM

It's complete crap that coaches are given nifty little red flags but are only allowed to challenge certain things with them. If you challenge incorrectly you lose a timeout....so at maximum a coach can challenge 6 total plays which would add about 15 minutes on to an average game. If a coach wanted to challenge a chin strap infraction or any other miniscule rule, there is absolutely no reason not to allow them....except to cover up how many plays the refs actually screw up.

The catch/fumble play today was clearly miscalled...that is not even debatable. We know it, the NFL knows it; it was a fumble. The TD pass to Ginn was called back for a tripping penalty, but the NFL defines tripping as using your foot or leg to trip someone. This did not happen. Two horrible calls by the refs during crucial drives during the game and neither could be challenged. Worst case scenario those two calls would have put us in overtime, best case we won the game.

If a ref is wrong, he's wrong. It does not do anyone justice to pretend he wasn't wrong, and players/coaches are fined for even hinting to such a statement. Maybe we wouldn't have won the game today, but good God...this is two weeks in a row huge penalties killed the game.

Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.

Phinvader BillPhinvader BillNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 07:19 PM

And don't forget the Saints game.

I swear these refs need to fear for their jobs just like players and coaches. Right now, they are like the Supreme Court, and its got to stop.


http://www.phinvaders.com 2011 events: Kansas City, San Diego, Cleveland, Dallas

BuckeyeKingBuckeyeKingNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 07:21 PM

They need to let plays play out stop blowing your god damn whistle. Also I thought you could challenge plays even though the whistle blew?

IF you can't challenge a play once the whistle is blown then why did the refs overturn a call in the Washington vs Saint game?

NyPhinfanNyPhinfanforum_veteran
Dec 27, 2009, 07:26 PM

So what I gather from the play where they called it an incomplete pass....its now almost impossible to have a fumble on a dropped pass...lol. I said it last week and will say it again...I would pay BIG money to be able to be in a room when the Officials watch this one over. Let the players play..for the thousanth time...let the play unfold..let the game go...let the players decide these games

KillerphinsKillerphinsNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 07:57 PM

it used to be if the receiver made a football move(which means two steps) after a catch and lost the footballit was a fumble
now we cant even review if it was a completion
that call blew my mind
we gots skarewed

steveincoloradosteveincoloradoNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 08:08 PM

Another lost and another thread bitching about the officials......surprising.

We get our azz handed to us badly and some people are bitching about the officials. Get over it.

Merry Christmas

NyPhinfanNyPhinfanforum_veteran
Dec 27, 2009, 08:10 PM

"steveincolorado wrote:

Another lost and another thread bitching about the officials......surprising.

We get our azz handed to us badly and some people are bitching about the officials. Get over it.

Merry Christmas

I admit that on the list of reasons why we lost...the officials are about #732...yet that does not excuse HORRID Officiating

KillerphinsKillerphinsNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 08:12 PM

"steveincolorado wrote:

Another lost and another thread bitching about the officials......surprising.

We get our azz handed to us badly and some people are bitching about the officials. Get over it.

Merry Christmas

im not bitching about losing on that call just saying that rule sucks if there is such a rule
ive never seen a guy catch a ball, take three steps get hit cough up the ball and have a ref say it was incomplete and cant review an incomplete pass

that one floored me

worst call ever

Dec 27, 2009, 08:23 PM

"steveincolorado wrote:

Another lost and another thread bitching about the officials......surprising.

We get our azz handed to us badly and some people are bitching about the officials. Get over it.

Merry Christmas

NFL officials are inept, it should never ever come to them deciding the game for us.

We shat the bed and the offcials helped.

MonstBlitz;2232016 wrote:

It wouldn't surprise me if he is retained. Jeff Ireland is the nightmare that won't end. The **** stain you cannot flush. The Herpes for which there is no cure.

KeyFinKeyFinforum_veteran
Dec 27, 2009, 09:17 PM

"steveincolorado wrote:

Another lost and another thread bitching about the officials......surprising.

We get our azz handed to us badly and some people are bitching about the officials. Get over it.

It is surprising...it surprised the heck out of me when "tripping" was called from a guy that was airborne. Polite made a superior block off balance and he did not use his foot nor his leg. Come on, I mean...tripping? Really? That's the best they could make up? Tripping?

As I said before that TD did not mean the Fins would have definitely won, but it would have been a huge momentum changer and, as I said above, worst case scenario the game would have been tied. So yes, the refs did cost us a huge chance at winning.

Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.

kryptokryptoNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 09:36 PM

"keith075 wrote:

The TD pass to Ginn was called back for a tripping penalty, but the NFL defines tripping as using your foot or leg to trip someone. This did not happen.

Not for nothing, but I just rewatched the play, Polite's foot DID hit the defender's right leg midair and looking at the defenders leg, you could see it was a substantial hit, preventing the defender from landing on the leg that was hit/tripped. And lets be honest here, I'm as big a Fins fan as the next guy, but watch the replay on Nfl.com. Look how high Polite's left leg go. Thats not natural movement for just falling to the ground, he intended for the trip.

Phinvader BillPhinvader BillNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 10:10 PM

I'm a little tired of 'fans' unloading on anyone who mentions the refs. We all watched the game. We all know that we sucked the first half, and if we hadn't, we would not have been in that situation in the second half. Same with the Titans game. But to excuse the refs is out of the question, and these fans who just want to call us whiners is crossing a line. A 'fan' blasting other fans for venting about a legitimate issue in a loss is pretty freaking low, and I don't think that is being a good fan.


http://www.phinvaders.com 2011 events: Kansas City, San Diego, Cleveland, Dallas

NoCalFinFanNoCalFinFanNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 10:21 PM

While the trip cost us the game, I could see a call like that being within the realm of possibility. A bad call, as it was not an obvious trip, technically Lou's foot hit the defender's leg.

But the fumble called an incomplete? NFW. The receiver didn't just make a football move, he took three steps and got popped.

And how about giving a first down when the ball was clearly an inch short. Did the rules change? Do you now have to sorta get 10 yards? No longer a game of inches.

Either the rules have changed, or the NFL officiating has taken a turn for the worse. I think the latter, and I gotta wonder how many of these guys may be on the take.

ERericNew Member
Dec 27, 2009, 10:24 PM

we cant challenge completions now? did we challenge and win the won where camarillio caught the ball after using his legs to keep it off the ground?

i know we blew the first half of the game, but BS calls shouldnt be over looked just because we didnt control the hole game.

with the calls made in the saints game, the titans game and this game, its absurd that it can happen this often, this blatantly and something not be done to correct it.

KeyFinKeyFinforum_veteran
Dec 28, 2009, 09:27 AM

Speaking of rules....a game is 4 quarters. So what if we got blown out during the painful first half, we came back like we always do and the defense for the most part shut Texas down.

All I'm saying is there were some horrible calls two weeks in a row and at some point there has to be questions about holding the refs responsible. Because of multiple injuries we would not have made it too deep in the playoffs so in a way I'm glad the season is over, but that is not the point. The NFL rules that are in place are not designed to be flexible...either it was a penalty or it wasn't.

If the ref makes a bad call, a coach should be able to challenge it without question. Under the current system that appears not to be possible all the time.

Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.

SESeanPsubscriber
Dec 28, 2009, 09:46 AM

While I agree there have been some bad calls, it doesnt behoove us at all to present that in the way of bitter fans who were "cost the game by flags."

We're all passionate about our team, but it really just makes things look bitter and nitpicky if we come about it that way.

But yes, the Refs have been doing a pretty awful job this year, and not just for us.

NJFINSFAN1NJFINSFAN1luxury_box
Dec 28, 2009, 10:30 AM

"keith075 wrote:

It's complete crap that coaches are given nifty little red flags but are only allowed to challenge certain things with them. If you challenge incorrectly you lose a timeout....so at maximum a coach can challenge 6 total plays which would add about 15 minutes on to an average game. If a coach wanted to challenge a chin strap infraction or any other miniscule rule, there is absolutely no reason not to allow them....except to cover up how many plays the refs actually screw up.

The catch/fumble play today was clearly miscalled...that is not even debatable. We know it, the NFL knows it; it was a fumble. The TD pass to Ginn was called back for a tripping penalty, but the NFL defines tripping as using your foot or leg to trip someone. This did not happen. Two horrible calls by the refs during crucial drives during the game and neither could be challenged. Worst case scenario those two calls would have put us in overtime, best case we won the game.

If a ref is wrong, he's wrong. It does not do anyone justice to pretend he wasn't wrong, and players/coaches are fined for even hinting to such a statement. Maybe we wouldn't have won the game today, but good God...this is two weeks in a row huge penalties killed the game.

Well, I don't like it, but they called it right according to the rules in place, the same thing happened in the Cowboy game last night.

Now, if you will remember in the Bucc game, the Ref's screwed up in our favor. The INT by Taylor was ruled an incomplete pass first, and should not have been reviewed but was and we got the INT.

It works both ways, you win some, you lose some.

steveincoloradosteveincoloradoNew Member
Dec 28, 2009, 12:16 PM

I've seen Deion Sanders tackle better then our D did yesterday, I guess that is the officials fault too.......

Polite tripped the defender...good call
VD INT was out of bounds.....good call

Houston (ranked 32nd) ran all over us.....guess that was the officials fault.

Couldn't stop Andre Johnson.....guess that was the officials fault.

I didn't like the incomplete pass, but that was a close one.

KillerphinsKillerphinsNew Member
Dec 28, 2009, 12:32 PM

"steveincolorado wrote:

I've seen Deion Sanders tackle better then our D did yesterday, I guess that is the officials fault too.......

Polite tripped the defender...good call
VD INT was out of bounds.....good call

Houston (ranked 32nd) ran all over us.....guess that was the officials fault.

Couldn't stop Andre Johnson.....guess that was the officials fault.

I didn't like the incomplete pass, but that was a close one.

a close one
are you joking
that was about as obvious of a blown call you will ever see or in your case not see
he caught the ball turned and took two steps almost three
wow
im not sure what you were watching
just absolutely unbelivable

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